Who’s Speaking Half-truths or Lies about Israel?

The list is endless, but let’s start with the UN. The UN Human Rights Council had resolved almost more resolutions condemning Israel than on the rest of the world combined, link. Detect a UN bias against Israel?

In the past, the US and EU have threatened the Netanyahu government if it fails to make progress toward a two-state solution. But this ‘solution’ is not sought by 66% of Palestinians or by the Palestinian leadership, who want a single Palestinian state, link. So why does the UN pursue this line?

EU policy now requires special labeling for Israeli products made in settlements in the ‘occupied’ West Bank – but international lawyers maintain that the term ‘occupied’ is not legally correct, link. The PA President Mahmoud Abbas has described all of Israel as ‘occupation’, link – again, legally incorrect.

Pope Francis has described PA President Mahmoud Abbas as “an angel of peace”, link, but the PA makes no attempt to educate its people towards peace and coexistence with Israel and repeatedly rejects Israel’s right to exist, link.

The World Council of Churches is a key promoter of the Kairos Palestine document, which denies the Jewish historical connection to the land of Israel, link. This is not so much a lie, more historical ignorance! Haven’t they read the Torah? Last but not least, the media (CNN, CBC, Guardian, New York Times …) have all been accused of reporting bias against Israel, link.

The UK media stand accused of reporting bias in favour of Hamas – their statements are inflammatory e.g. “Israel bombs civilian targets with links to Hamas”, link. The UK media have even seriously misquoted the wording in the 1917 Balfour Declaration for a Jewish homeland, link.As the Bible says:

Truth is fallen in the streets … and they will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths (Isa 59.14, 2 Tim 4.4)

What are the Most Fundamental Lies?

Here’s a few examples:

Jews have little historical connection with Israel

There is a historical Palestinian people

Jews are occupying Palestinian land

Jews caused the Palestinian refugee problem

Jerusalem is not the Jewish capital

The Jewish temple is a myth

The two-state solution is the only way forward

Palestinians are denied water

Jerusalem is historically holy to Islam

Israel is a racist state

Why are these statements inflammatory, or just plain wrong? Take the Jewish capital for instance. The UN and the EU prefer a two-state solution such that Jerusalem is the capital of both Israel and Palestine. But since a Palestinian State never existed in the past, does not exist now, and most likely never will exist, then this position is academic. More fundamentally, in international law it is a sovereign state’s right to determine its own capital, and Israel proclaimed Jerusalem to be her capital shortly after the declaration of the State of Israel in 1948. In any case, no other country in the world has been asked to divide its capital, so why should Israel?

Let’s now refute some of these lies.

LIE 1: Jews have little Historical Connection with Israel

Some claim that the Jews who came to Israel had no historical connection with the land – which was populated solely by indigenous Palestinians, link. Examples: “Claims of historical or religious ties of Jews with Palestine are incompatible with the facts of history” [Article 20, Palestinian National Charter, 1968, link]. “There is no tangible evidence of any Jewish traces/remains in the old city of Jerusalem and its immediate vicinity” [Palestinian Ministry of Information, December 10, 1997], link. “The extended kingdoms of David and Solomon, on which the Zionists base their territorial demands, endured for only about 73 years” [Illene Beatty, ‘Arab and Jew in the Land of Canaan’]. “The Israelis claim that 2000 years ago they had a Temple [on the Temple Mount]. I challenge the claim that this is so” [Mahmoud Abbas, August, 2000]. Just a glance at history clearly shows that these are lies about Israel.

THE TRUTH: Is there historical evidence? Brief answer HERE

One of the Dead Sea Scrolls found in the Qumran Caves (located in the ancient Kingdom of Judah). The scrolls have traditionally been identified with the Essenes, an ancient Jewish sect. Most of the texts are written in Hebrew. Image: Israel Antiquities Authority 1993, Wikimedia Commons

MORE TRUTH ….

Palestinian leaders have adopted the tack of “stealing the enemy’s heritage, history, and values”, link. But archaeology and historical documentation shows that Jews have lived continuously in the land of Israel for over 3,000 years, link, link, link. For example, the descendants of Abraham formed the nation Israel around 1300 BC, in 1004 BC King David established Jerusalem as the capital of the Kingdom of Israel, and in 960 BC his son Solomon built the first Jewish temple, link. That’s long before Islamic warriors spread across the Middle East and forced conversion upon its citizens.

The Jews Purchased the Temple area: King David actually purchased the land (Mount Moriah) on which the first temple was built. The area belongs to the Jews. David purchased it from a Jebusite called Ornan:

Then David said to Ornan, “Grant me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar on it to the Lord. You shall grant it to me at the full price, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people … So David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place. (1 Chron 21.22,25)

Archaeological discoveries: Written stone tablets refer to the “House of David” and so verify the existence of King David, link. And City of David excavations at the foot of the southern wall of the Temple Mount have uncovered a seal (bulla) with the name of King Hezekiah (727-698 BC), link. Then there’s evidence from the Dead Sea scrolls. One of the scrolls, the Temple Scroll, claims to provide God’s instructions regarding the construction and operation of the Jewish Temple, link, link.

Post temple period: In 70 AD, when the Jewish civilization was already over 1000 years old, the Romans forced most of the Jews of Judea and Samaria (now the West Bank) into exile and destroyed the Second Temple. However, some Jews remained in the land and archaeologists have discovered 34 synagogues in the Golan Heights dating from the late Roman period through the Byzantine era up until the Arab conquest of the Holy Land around 638 AD, link. By the end of the 19th Century, the majority population of Jerusalem was again Jewish, link. In contrast, the Arabs arrived through multiple invasions, beginning only in the 7th Century AD, and the concept of a ‘Palestinian people’ only emerged after WWI.

WHAT DOES THE TORAH SAY?

Some 3,500 years ago, God promised by covenant that He would give all the land of Canaan (modern Israel) to Abraham and his descendants. This was unconditional and ‘forever’ (Gen 17.7,8). The covenant was established through Isaac and not through Ishmael and so the Jews are the true descendants of Abraham in the covenant sense and they keep this covenant through circumcision (Gen 17.10,19-21).

WHAT DOES THE QURAN SAY?

Quran 17:104: “And thereafter We [Allah] said to the Children of Israel: Dwell securely in the Promised Land.”
Quran 5:20-21: “Moses said to his people … O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah has assigned to you.”

This couldn’t be clearer. So why do today’s Muslim leaders refuse to acknowledge this promise to Israel?

LIE 2: A Palestinian People

The West, the media, the church and the Arab nations repeatedly refer to a ‘Palestinian People’:

“It is high time that the Palestinian people restore their freedom and independence” [Mahmoud Abbas]

“There are real injustices taking place in the Palestinian territories, and the suffering of the Palestinian people can no longer be ignored” [Christ at the Checkpoint Manifesto, link].

“Palestinians have never been strangers either to Jerusalem or to the entire homeland … we are the native people of this land” [Archbishop Sebastia Theodosios, Orthodox Christian archbishop in Jerusalem, link]

“The Palestinians must have their own sovereign, independent, and democratic state” [Sabeel, link]

“The Palestinian people fight with weapons, with jihad, with Intifada and suicide actions” [ANN television, October 2000]

“J.K Rowling has publicly criticized the Israeli government for its ‘brutal’ and ‘unjust’ treatment of the Palestinian people” [The Telegraph, link]

THE TRUTH: What’s the underlying fallacy here? Brief answer HERE

HERE’S MORE TRUTH ….

Demographics: Whilst acknowledging the suffering of many, the issue here is the term ‘Palestinian People’. By the early 20th century the land of Israel was a mix of many peoples representing some 50 languages [1911 Encyclopedia Britannica]. The land was not a country and had no frontiers, only administrative boundaries [Prof. Bernard Lewis]. This strong ethnic mix meant there was no distinctive Palestinian people, and the early Zionist pioneers saw the Arab population as small, apolitical, and without a nationalist element, link.

The term ‘Palestine’ seems to have come to prominence after the 1922 League of Nations Palestine Mandate, which aimed to establish in Palestine a national home for the Jewish people, link. The point here is that the Mandate didn’t recognize the existence of a ‘Palestinian people’ but instead referred to the local Arab population as existing non-Jewish communities.

Effect of Zionism: It was only after WWI that we find an emergence of Palestinian nationalism and an identifiable ‘Palestinian People’. Some see this as a response to the threat posed by Zionism, when waves of Jewish immigrants arrived in Palestine between 1919 and 1939, link. Prior to Zionism, there was no need for the Arabs of Palestine to focus on Palestinian identity. They were citizens of the Ottoman Empire and identified themselves as Arabs, not Palestinians, link. The designation “Palestinian” was more actively embraced around 1964, with the forming of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization). This fact has even been admitted by the PLO: “The Palestinian people does not exist … there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people” [Zahir Muhsein, PLO, March, 1977].

So there never has been a ‘Palestinian people’ or a ‘Palestinian Arab nation’ having ancient attachments to the Holy Land, link, link. “There is no such thing as Palestine in history, absolutely not” [Professor Philip Hitti, Arab historian, 1946]. “It was not as if there was a Palestinian people in Palestine and we came and threw them out and took their country away from them … they did not exist” [Golda Meir, Prime Minister, 1969].

LIE 3: Occupation of Palestinian Land

Almost without exception, the international community claims that Israel occupies Palestinian land. Examples:

There is a widely circulated map depicting a dramatic loss of Palestinian land from 1946 to 2010, link. MSNBC (an American cable and satellite TV network) have used it on air

The UN General Assembly frequently refers to Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, link

Barack Obama has said “Palestinians deserve an end to the occupation”, link

The UK Government refers to “The Occupied Palestinian Territories” in its foreign travel advice, link

Amnesty International state: “The Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory (the West Bank including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip) is in its fifth decade”

“The Israeli occupation of Palestinian land is a sin against God” [Kairos Document, link]

The World Council of Churches states: “Christians who promote ‘Christian Zionism’ distort the interpretation of the Word of God and the historic connection of Palestinians—Christians and Muslims—to the Holy Land’, link

“The Oslo accord was a preface for the Palestinian Authority, and the Palestinian Authority will be a preface for the Palestinian state, which in turn will be a preface for the liberation of the entire Palestinian land” [Abdul Aziz Shaheen, PA Minister, January, 1998]

The Guardian newspaper has claimed: “There can be no negotiations without a clear Israeli commitment to fully withdraw from the Palestinian territory it occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem”

Mahatma Gandhi said: “Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the English or France to the French”

The map showing a ‘dramatic loss of Palestinian land’ is a lie, link. What never existed cannot be lost. There never was an Arab country called ‘Palestine’. Before the creation of the PLO in 1964 (16 years after the birth of Israel) no Arab political entity was called by that name, link, link. Some are honest enough to admit this: “There is no such country as Palestine” [Arab leader A.B. Abdul Hadi, 1937], “The Palestinian people does not exist” [Zahir Muhsein, PLO, March, 1977].

In international law, a territory which has never been subject to the sovereignty of any state is declared terra nullius, and sovereignty over such territory can be legally acquired through occupation. The State of Israel follows this legality, stating: “Occupied territories are territories captured in war from an established and recognized sovereign. As the West Bank and Gaza Strip were not under the legitimate and recognized sovereignty of any state prior to the Six Day War, they should not be considered occupied territories … Israel’s presence in the (disputed) territories is not illegal”, link.

So since the West Bank and Gaza Strip were not previously under any recognized sovereignty, then under international law Israel can legally acquire these lands through occupation. On the other hand, Israel is not occupying ‘Palestinian land‘ since you cannot ‘occupy’ what never existed. All of western Palestine, from the Jordan to the Mediterranean, including Gaza and all of Jerusalem remains legally open to Jewish settlement under the 1922 British Mandate for Palestine, see 1922 map. International lawyers maintain that this right of settlement is protected by Article 80 of the UN Charter which recognizes the Trust (British Mandate) handed to it by the League of Nations, link, link. Specifically, “Under international law, neither Jordan nor the Palestinian Arab people of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have a substantial claim to the sovereign possession of the ‘occupied’ territories. The West Bank should be considered ‘unallocated territory'” [Prof. Eugene Rostow]. Conclusion: Israel’s presence in the disputed territories is legal, and there is no legality to the term ‘occupied territories’.

Given this legal stance, the Palestinian demand for Israel to return to the pre-1967 borders under the 1967 UN Resolution 242 is irrelevant. In any case, these borders were temporary: “The armistice agreements of 1949 expressly preserved the territorial claims of all parties and did not purport to establish definitive boundaries between them” [Prof. Judge Schwebel, former President of the International Court of Justice]. “It would have been wrong to demand that Israel return to its positions of June 4, 1967, because those positions were undesirable and artificial” [Lord Caradon, British Ambassador who drafted the approved resolution]. In the 1967 war, Israel simply took back land that was mandated for a Jewish homeland under the (still legally standing) British Mandate for Palestine.

LIE 4: Water Apartheid in Palestine

International media, the UN, the church, and the Palestinian Water Authority all accuse Israel of depriving ‘Occupied Territories’ of water.

“Palestinians say they are prevented from using their own water resources by a belligerent military power. This, Palestinians say, is crippling to their agricultural economy” [BBC News, Sept 2010]

“2.1 million Palestinians suffer an artificial water scarcity deliberately created and sustained by Israel’s military occupation” [The Ecologist, March 2014]

“Both the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian farmers are denied the right to construct wells to meet the growing demand for water, even when that water originates almost entirely in the West Bank” [UNCTAD – Agriculture, 2015, link]

“The total water needed to put all irrigable land in West Bank and Gaza under irrigation totals 490 MCM per year i.e. an additional 381 MCM relative to the current water supply” [Glover and Hunter (2010), link]

“The Palestinian people are denied their internationally recognized human right to sufficient safe, accessible, and affordable water” [Ecumenical Water Network, 2014, link]

“Palestine suffers from the unfair distribution of water sources, which remain under almost full Israeli control” [Palestinian Water Authority, March 2015]

In the West Bank, daily per capita consumption (domestic, urban and industrial) is around 73 litres, and 242 litres in Israeli towns [CJPME Factsheet, 2010, link]

“Palestinians are not allowed to drill their own water wells”, [thepeoplesvoice.org, October 2014]

Legal Agreement: Israel and the Palestinian Authority set up a Joint Water Committee (JWC) in 1995. Under the Second Oslo Accords 1995, “Israel recognized the water rights of the Palestinians in the West Bank, and a clear allocation of quantities of water to each party was determined, maintaining existing quantities of usage”, link. In 1995 both sides agreed on the future needs of the Palestinians in the West Bank, which could total 200 million cubic meters (MCM) per year, link. The JWC also discusses and authorizes requests for water drilling. Israel continues to honour Oslo II and has responded to the needs of the Palestinians: “Israel is in full compliance with the terms for water use and supply as outlined in the Oslo II. In fact, Israel provides 30% more water to the Palestinians than required, with the total amount of water available to them exceeding agreed-upon terms. Despite Palestinian claims, there is almost no difference in the amount of water Israelis and Palestinians use. As of 2012, per capita water use is 150 MCM for Israelis and 140 MCM for Palestinians.” [TIP, March 2012, link]. And despite rocket attacks targeting them, Israeli water authority personnel continue to repair and maintain the water supply to Gaza, link.

Palestinian Responsibility: The total water available to the Palestinians in 2007 was 200 MCM per year, link. So why is there still a water shortage? One reason is that the Israeli Water Authority supplies water but does not carry out the internal Palestinian distribution of the water (water management); that task is up to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. But water losses in their networks are very high – about 33%, link. Also, unlike Israel, the Palestinians are very reluctant to treat wastewater and use the treated effluent in agriculture, link, link. When it comes to wells, JWC permits have been granted for drilling into the Eastern Mountain Aquifer, but as of 2014 the Palestinians had drilled at just one-third of these sites, despite the offer of international finance, link. More at NGO Monitor.

Water Politics: “Water shortages in the Palestinian Authority are the result of Palestinian policies that deliberately waste water and destroy the regional water ecology. The Palestinians refuse to develop their own significant underground water resources, build a seawater desalination plant, fix massive leakage from their municipal water pipes, build sewage treatment plants, irrigate land with treated sewage effluents or modern water-saving devices, or bill their own citizens for consumer water usage, leading to enormous waste. At the same time, they drill illegally into Israel’s water resources, and send their sewage flowing into the valleys and streams of central Israel. In short, the Palestinian Authority is using water as a weapon against the State of Israel. It is not interested in practical solutions to solve the Palestinian people’s water shortages, but rather perpetuation of the shortages and the besmirching of Israel” [Prof. Haim Gvirtzman, Feb 2014, link]

LIE 5: The Palestinian Refugee Problem

Today some 5 million registered Palestinian refugees live in towns, cities or camps in Jordan, Lebanon, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, link. How did this come about – and why does it continue?

Arabic Leadership: The leadership argues: “No Zionism – no Palestinian refugee problem”. This summarizes the Palestinian argument for what caused the refugee problem. They claim that Palestinians were innocently minding their own business, when suddenly the Zionists attacked them and evicted them from their homes by force as part of a preconceived plan of ethnic cleansing, link. They maintain that “the Palestinian refugees are the indigenous inhabitants of Palestine, the majority of whom were dispossessed, were forced to run away or were expelled when the State of Israel was created in 1948”, link. They claim that dispossession and expulsion increased when Israel launched the 1967 war on her Arab neighbours [Al-Awda].

Western Churches: These claims are echoed by many western churches e.g. “Most Palestinians rejected this arrangement (the declared state of Israel) and the majority of the population – some 750,000 Palestinians – fled or were expelled”, link, “In 1948-49 Israel drove some 750,000 Palestinians from their towns and villages”, link.

THE TRUTH: Is this really how the problem arose? Brief answer HERE

HERE’S MORE TRUTH ….

Jewish quarter refugees evacuating the Old City through the Zion Gate, May 1948, Wikimedia

Arab nations argue: “No Zionism – no Palestinian refugee problem” whilst Zionist’s reply “No war – no Palestinian refugee problem”. Let’s look at the historical facts.1947: The UN Partition Plan recommended the establishment of two States in Palestine – a Jewish State and an Arab State. The Jews accepted the decision but the Arabs rejected it.1948-49: The Jews proclaimed an independent State of Israel (the right to self-determination is guaranteed in international law) and immediately the Arab nations invaded Israel. Many Palestinians evacuated their homes under direction from Arab armies, hoping to return soon after the inevitable Arab victory, link. In many towns the leaders of the Arab communities had already left, link. So at this time over 700,000 Arabs fled to neighbouring Arab countries and became refugees, whilst over 850,000 Jews were forced to leave Muslim countries after their property was confiscated. All the Jewish inhabitants of East Jerusalem were expelled by occupying Jordanian forces – see photo (before 1948 Jews lived in the old city and the eastern sector, link). Israel offered to repatriate 100,000 Arab refugees in April 1949 but this was rejected.1952: The UN offered $200m for the refugees but this was also rejected by Arab governments.

Out of tens of millions of refugees in those years, the only ones who remained as refugees are the ‘Palestinians’, and that is as a result of a conscious decision of the Arab countries to perpetuate their situation. These refugees exist as an ever-present source of outrage the Arab nations use as leverage in negotiations with “the West”, link. So Palestinians remain refugees by Arab choice, since no Arab state apart from Jordan grants Palestinians citizenship, link. Clearly, the refugee problem stemmed directly from the sudden Arab declaration of war on the emergent Jewish state and today is perpetuated by Arab countries themselves! It is widely acknowledged that to implement the “right of return”, link of huge numbers of refugees would eliminate the Jewish right to self-determination, as in a Jewish State, link. “An expectation that Israel has to deal with Arab refugees that were created by the war in 1948 that the Arabs started against Israel was preposterous” [Netanyahu, 2015].

LIE 6: Jerusalem is not the Jewish Capital

Asked about the fate of Jerusalem, 92% of Palestinians said it should be the capital of Palestine, [Stanley Greenberg poll of 1,010 Palestinian adults in the West Bank and Gaza Strip]. “Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel; Tel Aviv is” [Guardian, April 2012], link. “Jerusalem today is an occupied city” [World Council of Churches]. “Israel maintains that Jerusalem is its capital city, a claim not recognized by the UK and the international community” [UK Foreign Office 2012, link]. “As far as the US government is concerned, Jerusalem is not a part of Israel” [US Supreme Court, June 2015, link].

THE TRUTH: Can Israel legally claim Jerusalem as her capital? Brief answer HERE

HERE’S MORE TRUTH ….

Israel proclaimed Jerusalem to be her capital shortly after the declaration of the State of Israel in 1948: “Whereas with establishment of the State of Israel, Jerusalem once more becomes the capital” [Knesset, 1950 ]. This proclamation was based upon historical connections, Bible prophecy and the true legal position defined by the 1920 San Remo Resolution, the 1922 British Mandate for Palestine and Article 80 of the UN Charter. “According to international law, Israel has a well-founded claim to sovereignty over Jerusalem, including its Old City” [Dr Jacques Gautier, author ‘Sovereignty over the Old City of Jerusalem’, see Who Owns Jerusalem?]. Aside from a sovereign state’s right to determine its own capital, link, international convention maintains that a capital city is usually where a state’s central political institutions reside. While Tel Aviv is widely regarded as Israel’s economic and cultural center, the organs of political power, including the Knesset, Prime Minister’s Office, Foreign Ministry and most other government ministries are located in Jerusalem, Israel’s declared capital city, link. The definitive word on Israel’s claim to Jerusalem rests with the Bible – the God of Israel has put His name there:

I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name might be there (2 Chron 6.6)

LIE 7: The Jewish Temple is a Myth

A model of Herod’s Temple based on findings of Biblical Archaeology. Image: Wikimedia Commons

Arab nations contest the concept of historic Jewish Temples. Examples: “No Jewish Temple ever existed on the Temple Mount” [Yasser Arafat, 2000 Camp David Summit]. The historic existence of a Jewish Temple “is a myth and nothing more” [Arab Member of Knesset Jamal Zahalka (Balad), 2014]. “The Zionist movement has invented that this was the site of Solomon’s Temple. But this is all a lie” [Sheik Raed Salah, a leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel]. Today, the Hamas government in Gaza describes the biblical Temples in Jerusalem as “the biggest lie in history”, link. The World Heritage Committee of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has adopted a resolution which refers to the area below and to the west of the Temple Mount as the “Buraq plaza” [July 2015], link. The resolution, proposed by three Arab countries, Qatar, Algeria and Lebanon, refers to the Temple Mount itself as a “Muslim holy site” with no reference to its importance to Jews, link. Muslim leaders wanting to deny Jewish claims to the site refer to the Western Wall as “the al-Buraq wall” and claim that the Western Wall is part of al-Aqsa Mosque, link.

THE TRUTH: What support is there for the Jewish temples? Brief answer HERE

HERE’S MORE TRUTH ….

Rabbinical sources: The Tanach (the Hebrew Bible) repeatedly testifies that Jews built the Temple in Jerusalem and worshiped there, link. Here, a temple is often called a bayit (“house”). In all, there are five temples: the First Temple (Solomon’s Temple), the two rival northern temples established by Jeroboam, the Second Temple dedicated in 516 BCE, and the temple described in Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 40–48).

History & Location: The existence of the Second Temple is supported by the Jewish historian Josephus who refers to the magnificence of the temple in Jesus’ time, link. Solomon’s Temple was built there 969-930 BC and the Temple was rebuilt 520-516 BC. But where? Rabbinical sources claim that both the First and Second Temples were built on the same foundations, at the same location somewhere on the Temple Mount. “Historical records of the destruction committed by the Romans, just by themselves, are ‘pretty overwhelming’ in supporting the existence of the Second Temple in the immediate vicinity of the Dome of the Rock” [Kent Bramlett, Professor of Archaeology, La Sierra University in Riverside, Calif.]. The traditional location of the Temples lies in the immediate vicinity of the present-day Dome of the Rock, link, and the Western Wall is the western retaining wall of King Herod’s expanded Temple Mount, link. Historical accounts say that the Dome of the Rock was built by the Moslems to overlay the location of the original Jewish Temple, link. Similar claims are made for the Al-Aqsa Mosque, link. The Gihon Spring just north of the ancient City of David (Zion) and on the southeastern ridge of Jerusalem is another possible location, link.

Archaeology: If the Jewish Temple never existed, then why does archaeological evidence suggest otherwise? Every year Jews would arrive at Solomon’s Temple to celebrate Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles), and for this they needed fresh flowing water. Archaeologists have discovered an ancient water aqueduct running from the Hebron mountains, through Solomon’s Pools near Bethlehem, and into the Temple Mount area, link, link. This was done at least 1500 years before any mosque was built! Archaeologists have recently discovered a small model building with an architectural design that matches the Biblical descriptions of the Temple of Solomon, link.

LIE 8: Arab East Jerusalem

East Jerusalem is widely referred to as ‘Arab’ East Jerusalem. Examples: “When Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967, the residents of the city were Jordanian citizens holding Jordanian passports. Israel imposed Israeli law on the city and unilaterally annexed the territory of East Jerusalem” [Palestine-Israel Journal, 2007]. “In Arab East Jerusalem … three-quarters of the population lives below Israel’s poverty line” [The New York Times, October 2015]. “Abbas temporarily walked away from the negotiations in March after Israel announced more housing for Jews in traditionally Arab east Jerusalem” [The Huffington Post, June 2010]. “The eastern portion [of Jerusalem], from which Jews were driven at gunpoint in 1948, is regularly referred to as ‘Arab East Jerusalem'” [FresnoZionism, Dec 2010].

THE TRUTH: Is it legally correct to refer to ‘Arab’ East Jerusalem? Brief answer HERE

HERE’S MORE TRUTH ….

Historically there was no such entity as ‘Arab East Jerusalem’ or even ‘East Jerusalem’. All of Jerusalem was mandated to be part of the Jewish homeland under the 1922 Palestine Mandate. Jerusalem was never divided until the Arab (Jordanian) invasion of 1948-49, as explained in the video. In 1949 UN Security Council Resolution 62 called for the implementation of armistice (ceasefire) agreements and as a result Israel’s borders were re-established along the so-called “Green Line”. Importantly, the 1949 armistice borders were not recognized by Arab states, which continued to refuse to recognize Israel, and were regarded as temporary by drafters of UN Resolution 242, link.

The Green Line divided Jerusalem, putting the Old City just inside Jordanian held territory – see map. So at the end of the war Jerusalem was divided between Jordan and Israel. Note that it was only through war that Jordan gained control of Judea and Samaria (the ‘West Bank’) and the Old City of Jerusalem (which later became part of ‘East Jerusalem’). This was the situation until June 1967, when Israel took back these territories. After June 1967 Israel expanded the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem resulting in what is now referred to as East Jerusalem – the blue line on the map or the green area here. Since Israel legally declared a ‘Jewish’ state in 1948, the boundaries were set to strengthen Israeli sovereignty over the city by creating a Jewish majority, link, link. In 1988 King Hussain of Jordan formally renounced any claim to the lands (West Bank and East Jerusalem) that he had lost in the 1967 war, link. So at no time was East Jerusalem under legal ownership by an Arab entity.

Living under Israeli rule is preferable to living under the Palestinian Authority [East Jerusalem Palestinian politician Ramadan Dabbash, October 2017]

LIE 9: Jerusalem is Holy to Islam

Muslims consider Jerusalem to be the third-holiest city in Islam after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. It is claimed that the actual site of Mohammed’s ascension to heaven was the exposed piece of bedrock at the top of the elongated ridge called Mount Moriah, link. So Caliph Abd-al-Malik’s Dome of the Rock was built over the bedrock outcrop to commemorate the location of this important event, link. This background leads to claims like: “Jerusalem is just like the holy city of Mecca” [Crown Prince ‘Abdullah of Saudi Arabia]. “We won’t give up on Palestine, all of Palestine, and Jerusalem will remain the place to which all jihad warriors will direct their prayers” [Hasan Nasrallah, leader of Hizbullah]. Yasser Arafat constantly repeated that there can be no peace without Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine and total Muslim sovereignty over the Temple Mount.

THE TRUTH: Do these claims fit the facts? Brief answer HERE

HERE’S MORE TRUTH ….

Islamic claims on Jerusalem are inconsistent with the facts: Jerusalem and Zion do not appear at all in the Qur’an, link. Moreover, it is a historical fact that Mohammed never set foot in the city, link, link, and Islamic sources from the first 50 years or so after Mohammad’s death make clear that Jerusalem had absolutely no holy status for Muslims, link. Also, Islamic claims that the “Furthest Mosque” (Sura 17:1) refers to what is today called the Aksa Mosque in Jerusalem have no foundation, link.

So why is Jerusalem even claimed to be the third-holiest city in Islam? And why is this claim relatively recent, not preceding the 1930s, link? Muslims see Mecca as the navel of the world (just as Jews see Jerusalem, link) and so turn their back on the Dome of the Rock when praying, link. In contrast, the Jews have a solid claim to Jerusalem. The name of the city appears in the Jewish Bible 669 times and Zion (which usually means Jerusalem) 154 times. Judaism made Jerusalem a holy city over 3,000 years ago and throughout that time Jews remained steadfast to it. They pray in its direction and mention its name constantly in prayers.

LIE 10: The Two-state Solution is the Only Way

The western world favours the two-state solution for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They say:

“The two-State solution: a key prerequisite for achieving peace and stability in the Middle East” [Theme of UN international meeting, July 2015]
“The Zionist dream embraces the concept of Israel as a Jewish democracy … That dream can only be upheld by two states living side by side in security” [John Kerry, UN HQ, November 2015]
“A two-state solution is the only way for the long-term security of Israel, if it wants to stay both a Jewish state and democratic” [Barack Obama, October 2015, link]
“Just as Israelis built a state in their homeland, Palestinians have a right to be a free people in their own land” [Obama, March 2013, link]
“The international community does not believe that Israel is serious about a two-state solution” [Obama, June 2015]
“I believe with a passion: the only solution that works is a solution that delivers security to Israel and dignity to the Palestinian people. A state for the Jewish people. A state for the Palestinian people” [Tony Blair, March 2010]
The Vatican “hopes for a solution to the Palestinian question and the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians according to the two-state solution” [Antoine Camilleri, Holy See’s deputy foreign minister, May 2015].

In reality, the international community may be looking at three states: a Jewish state, a PA state on the West Bank and a Hamas terrorist state controlling 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza!

THE TRUTH: Is this what everybody wants? Brief answer HERE

HERE’S MORE TRUTH ….
To satisfy these calls, Netanyahu has called on the Palestinian leadership to return to negotiations unconditionally: “I remain committed to the idea that the only way we can achieve a lasting peace is through the concept of two states for two peoples” [Netanyahu, May 31, 2015]. But according to a recent poll, only 34% of Palestinians accept two states for two peoples as the solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict [Stanley Greenberg face-to-face survey of 1,010 Palestinian adults in the West Bank and Gaza Strip]. Sixty-six percent said the Palestinians’ real goal should be to start with a two-state solution but then move to it all being one Palestinian state, link. This reflects the PA leadership position: “We will never accept a Palestinian state without Jerusalem as its capital” [Mahmoud Abbas, May, 2011]. What’s new? The Arab leadership rejected a two-state solution as far back as 1947 (see UN Partition Plan). Clearly, the western world is not reading from the same page as the Palestinians!

So although Netanyahu appears open to the idea of two-states, such a solution is impossible given that the Palestinian Authority maintains that Israel is not a Jewish State and that Jerusalem is the capital of the future Palestinian State! Moreover, Hamas has said it “never gave Abbas or anyone else a mandate to agree to the two-state solution” [The Jerusalem Post, Nov 2015] and such a solution is incompatible with the Hamas Charter and the broad Islamic goal of the elimination of Israel: “Israel has no roots in the Middle East and would be ‘eliminated'” [President of Iran, September 2012 ]. Most importantly, a two-state solution is condemned by the God of Israel:

I will gather all nations and put them on trial … because they divided up my land (Joel 3.2)

LIE 11: Israel is the Aggressor

“Israel is killing civilians by the hundreds, Palestinian civilians. We are the victims. Israel is the aggressor” [Fawzy Barhoum, July 2014]. “We want your protection. We want the protection of the world. We can no longer bear all these sanctions, all these attacks perpetrated by the settlers and the Israeli army” [President Mahmoud Abbas, UN Human Rights Council, Oct 2015]. “Israel is the aggressor; it is an imperial nation that is, and has for generations been, stealing land” [warisacrime.org, 2013]. “An occupying state has no legal right to wage a full-scale military war against an occupied population” [Noura Erakat, Georgetown International Law professor, 2015].

THE TRUTH: Who shows the most aggression; Israel or her neighbours?Brief answer HERE

International law distinguishes between defensive wars and wars of aggression. UN Charter Article 51 states that there is an inherent right of collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, link. The fact is that all of Israel’s major conflicts with her Arab neighbors have been in self-defense, link. Consider the following. 1948: Immediately after the Jewish State was born in May 1948, five Arab armies (Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq) invaded Israel. Jewish communities in the West Bank that had existed prior to the Arab invasion were demolished, as was the Jewish quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. It’s population of about 2,000 Jews was besieged and forced to leave en masse, and 55 synagogues and Talmudic Academies were destroyed. 1967: “Israel has continued too long … the battle has come in which we shall destroy Israel” [President of Egypt, 1967]. The armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon (and later Iraq) attacked Israel. Their goal was “to wipe Israel off the map”. 1973: Yom Kipper War – Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel.

The threats continue: “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it” [Hamas Charter, 1988]. “Israel has no roots in the Middle East and would be ‘eliminated’ [President of Iran, 2012]. After Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, terrorists fired more than 11,000 rockets into Israel, link. In 2014, following incessant rocket fire from Gaza at Israel, the IDF initiated Operation Protective Edge – a clear defensive action in response to rocket attacks. During the conflict some 4,700 missiles, rockets and mortars were fired from Gaza into Israel’s cities and towns, link. Future wars to eliminate Israel are imminent, link.

LIE 12: Israel is an Apartheid or Racist State

Many claim it is: “It needs to be pointed out that they [Israel] are a racist state and an apartheid state … the UK should stop supporting Israel, both politically and from a trade perspective” [Tanya Williams, Twickenham’s Green Party candidate, April 2015]. “Campaign for an economic and cultural boycott of the ‘racist apartheid’ state of Israel” [Scottish Green Party, October 2015]. Asked whether Israel is a racist country, 47% of US Democrats agreed “it is”, [July 2015, link]. “The racist Theodor Herzl wrote ‘Der Judenstaat’ (‘The Jewish State’) … Ben-Gurion, Chaim Arlosoroff, Moshe Sharett and other racists established the Jewish Agency, and the racist UN decided to establish a Jewish state” [Haaretz, November 2015, link]. “Israel is a ‘Zionist occupier’ and a ‘racist state'” [Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, 2012]

THE TRUTH: Are racist accusations justified? Brief answer HERE

HERE’S MORE TRUTH ….

All these statements exhibit a naive understanding of Israeli anti-discrimination law and of the internationally recognized right of self-determination of a people. The two issues are related:

No Discrimination: Apartheid can be defined as: ‘An official policy of racial segregation’ or ‘A political system where people are clearly divided based on race, gender or class’. But Israeli law makes it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, nationality, or country of origin, link, link. Despite tight immigration control to maintain a Jewish demographic majority (see later), Israel provides economic, educational and professional opportunities for non-Jewish citizens, link. Also, Israeli citizens of all ethnic groups and religious beliefs, including Arab-Israelis, can actively participate in the election process, and all votes cast are equal in weight, link. Arabs are granted full civil rights under Israeli law, which forbids discrimination on the basis of race, creed, or sex, link. So Israel is one of the few places in the Middle East where Arab women may vote. In fact, Israel is the only Middle Eastern country to rate as “free”, according to a report by Freedom House.

Self-Determination: The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights states:
“All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development” [Part 1, Article 1, link]
This is exactly what Israel did in 1948. On May 14, 1948 David Ben-Gurion proclaimed “the establishment of a Jewish state in the Land of Israel”, link. The same right was accorded to Arabs under the UN (two-state) Partition Plan of 1947, link; the Jews exercised their right to form a Jewish state in 1948, but the Arabs chose not to form their own Palestinian state. Israel was following the internationally recognized ‘Palestine Mandate’ for the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people, link. In order to establish a Jewish state, Israel encouraged essentially Jewish only immigration (aliyah) through the 1950 Law of Return. This Law is seen as racist by opponents of Israel since it essentially discriminates against Arabs and especially those Palestinian refugees who wish to return to their former homes in Israel, link. But in order to maintain a Jewish state, demographics suggest a Jewish majority of at least 70%, link. Today, Israel’s population is about 75% Jews and 25% non-Jews, link. To open up Israel to mass immigration of non-Jews would lead to the annihilation of the Jewish state under the political aspirations of the Arab/Palestinian leadership. The return of refugees is seen as ‘no longer practical’, link, but even when Palestinian refugees could be clearly identified this political and demographic problem was recognized:
“If the refugees return to Israel, Israel will cease to exist” (Neue Zuercher Zeitung, September 1, 1960)
Similarly, granting rights of citizenship to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank could also upset the demographic balance, link. On the other hand, Israel’s Declaration of Independence, link, clearly states that minorities in Israel (non-Jews) will be protected by ensuring “complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants” – as discussed above. Such equality is not found in a racist state!

So in the light of both Israeli anti-discrimination law and Israel’s right to self-determination as a Jewish State (and to maintain it), the accusation of ‘racist’ to Israel is unjustified. In fact, the accusation of ‘racist’ by the Arab world is hypocritical since these nations openly advocate a single Palestinian State (and annihilation of the Jewish state) which would be essentially restricted to Muslims, link. Finally, if the Arab/Palestinian leadership would recognize the right of the State of Israel to exist, then Israel could live by the biblical injunction:

When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall do him no wrong … (he) … shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself. (Lev 19.33,34)

From my childhood, I have believed Jews and Arabs can live together, and I believe now they should live together. All the rights to this country, to the land of Israel – especially Judea and Samaria – are Jewish … but everyone who lives in the country should have all the rights of the country. [Ariel Sharon, TIME, April 1989]

"Jerusalem is not a Jewish city, despite the biblical myth implanted in some minds. Nothing tangible has been found to give credibility to these claims .... The Jews have no historical or religious ties to the Temple Mount" [Palestinian Authority Ministry of Information ]

"All legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, which purport to alter the character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal validity" [UN Resolution 476, 1980 ]

Pope Francis praised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as an “angel of peace” during a meeting at the Vatican [May, 2015]

"Palestinians have never been strangers either to Jerusalem or to the entire homeland. We are the native people of this land ... we have always been here" [Archbishop Sebastia Theodosios, Orthodox Christian archbishop from Palestine, 2015]

"Israel has no roots in the Middle East and would be ‘eliminated’ " [Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 2012].

"As far as the US government is concerned, Jerusalem is not a part of Israel" [ US Supreme Court, June, 2015 ]

Honest Reporting believes that Israel is entitled to fair treatment by the world press according to the same standards applied to any other country. They believe that public opinion is significantly shaped by media coverage.

TRUTHS ABOUT JERUSALEM

Here's an approximate timeline about Jerusalem from the Bible

"This is Jerusalem ... I have set her in the midst of the nations" (Ezek 5.5)

"Beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King" (Ps 48.2)

"I have chosen Jerusalem that my name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel" (2 Chron 6.6)

"Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah" (2 Chron 3.1)

"Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Lk 21.24)

"I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace ... till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth" (Isa 62.6,7)

"I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut to pieces" (Zech 12.3)

"I will gather all nations to battle against Jerusalem" (Zech 14.2)

"In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them ... shall be like David" (Zech 12.8)

"And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem" (Zech 12.9)

"At that time they will call Jerusalem 'The Throne of the LORD,' and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem" (Jer 3.17)

"In that day ... living waters shall flow from Jerusalem ... and the LORD shall be King over all the earth" (Zech 14.8,9)

"Everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King" (Zech 14.16)

JERUSALEM - ISRAEL'S CAPITAL

The UN and the EU prefer a two-state solution such that Jerusalem is the capital of both Israel and Palestine. But since there never was a Palestinian State (and most likely never will be) then this position is academic. Also, no other country in the world has been asked to divide its capital, so why should Israel?

FACT; Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in 1950, but the U.S., like nearly all other countries, maintains its embassy in Tel Aviv, link.

In 1980, the Knesset legislated `Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel' which restates the position that:

Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel and the seat of its main governing bodies, link

On 19 May 1993 seventy representatives of World Jewry assembled in Jerusalem to sign The Jerusalem Covenant. This is a promise of faith made by the State of Israel to the city of Jerusalem. The covenant incorporates biblical passages as well as rabbinic texts that emphasize the importance of the connection to the city. The Covenant states:

the State of Israel is the State of the 'Jewish People' and the Capital of Israel is the Capital of the People of Israel

In recent years this Covenant has been supported by tens of thousands of people worldwide, link, in recognition of the importance of Jerusalem to the State of Israel.

"The Covenant illustrates that the connection between the Jewish people and the city of Jerusalem does not stem from a war in 1948, but from the last 3,000 years of history. Other members of world governments don’t see that connection." [ Rabbi Dov Lipman, 2014]

ISRAELI POLITICS

A hard, resistant stone against hostile neighbours

Israel is challenged on all fronts: hostile neighbours and a world against her. Why? The book of Revelation gives us the real reason - it is spiritual, not political. When the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua, was born, the spiritual world became enraged with the nation that bore Him, and this persecution reaches a climax at the end of this age :

the dragon (Satan) persecuted the woman (Israel) who gave birth to the male child (Rev 12.13)

Politics and the international media are simply Satan's tools!

THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PROBLEM

This is easily explained, but impossible to solve given the current Arab-Palestinian view of Israel. Put simply, Israel wants to live in peace as a Jewish state, whilst the Palestinians want Israel eliminated - they do not recognize Israel's right to exist. The Hamas objective is to replace the Jewish state with an Islamic caliphate, link.

For Middle East peace, all the Palestinians have to do is recognize Israel as a Jewish state and promise to live in peace with Israel. See video:

The Knesset is elected directly by the voters, and every Israeli citizen aged 18 or older on election day has the right to vote. So Israel's Arab citizens (some 20% of the population) have equal voting rights and today Arabs hold seats in the Knesset.

Nevertheless, many still feel marginalized and face a voting dilemma. Some argue that voting might be viewed as an endorsement of the existence of the State of Israel, whilst others say that voting is the only way to exercise influence over the state.

From my childhood, I have believed Jews and Arabs can live together, and I believe now they should live together. All the rights to this country, to the land of Israel – especially Judea and Samaria – are Jewish … but everyone who lives in the country should have all the rights of the country". [Ariel Sharon, TIME, April 1989]

Sadly, as long as Arab countries refuse to recognise Israel and continue to attack her, such cohabitation and full democracy seems impossible.

THE PROMISE

A telefilm about a nation born in a day - Israel

"The Promise" is a 2010 teleseries that won international media acclaim. "The Express" and "Le Figaro" are just a few journalistic groups that praised it for being a "magnificent work." But just how truthful is this film? However you see it, the result is that despite opposition from one of the world's greatest armies at that time, the Jews succeeded in establishing the first and only Hebrew state.

FAMOUS QUOTES ABOUT JEWS

"I will insist the Hebrews have [contributed] more to civilize men than any other nation" [ John Adams, Second President USA ]

"All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?" [ Mark Twain ]

"The Jews, however, are beyond all doubt the strongest, toughest, and purest race at present living in Europe; they know how to succeed even under the worst conditions" [ Friedrich Nietzsche ]

"Some people like the Jews, and some do not. But no thoughtful man can deny the fact that they are, beyond any question, the most formidable and the most remarkable race which has appeared in the world" [ Winston Churchill ]

"What is the Jew?...What kind of unique creature is this whom all the rulers of all the nations of the world have disgraced and crushed and expelled and destroyed; persecuted, burned and drowned, and who, despite their anger and their fury, continues to live and to flourish" [ Leo Tolstoy ]

The Abrahamic Covenant: All Nations will be Blessed

The book of Genesis says that God made a great promise to Abraham (the unconditional Abrahamic Covenant): “through you I will bless all the nations”. That is why his descendants, the Israelites, are blessed. Today, Israel has been restored as a nation and is blessed with progress, protection, resources and intelligence. And despite many attempts over nearly 3,000 years to exterminate the Jews, a remnant has always survived. In fact, the number of Jews in Israel today has increased by over 7,000 percent in just 100 years!

Testing Abraham’s Faith

In Genesis 22:1-18 we read how God tested Abraham. Let’s read the incredible test that earned Abraham an incredible reward for his descendants. God said to him:

“Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place ‘The Lord Will Provide’. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Abraham’s Reward

As the scriptures say, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith”. So God could use Abraham for the future and He rewarded him through several unconditional promises. First, through Abraham’s descendants came the offer to all men of reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ. That stands today. Secondly, God said that He would make the descendants of Abraham into a great nation which would be God’s servant and witness in the world. Today we see God fulfilling this promise as God’s people return to their promised land. The people of Israel are once more becoming God’s witness to the nations.

NEXT

The Book of Revelation – An End Time Message

After all’s been said and done, the Bible’s bold declarations culminate in its last book, Revelation. Here we read the final verses of the Bible, and the promise and warning of Jesus. Since Jesus is soon to return (He will be seen “with the clouds” Revelation 1.7), this last book is essentially an end time message. First, an amazing promise to those who trust in the risen Jesus:

Revelation 22: 12-14

Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life.

The city here is the New Jerusalem described symbolically in Revelation 21. Here we find the blessings (fruit) of the symbolic “tree of life” first mentioned in Genesis 2.9 in the Garden of Eden. It seems that, for believers, time has gone full circle to what God planned in the beginning. Sadly, not all partake of this eternal blessing and fellowship with God. Jesus gives a warning:

Revelation 22.15
Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.

So there we have it. Man has a choice and Jesus gives a plea to mankind:

Revelation 22.16,17

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.

Today, man is expert at twisting God’s word. We see this in his attempts to redefine marriage for example, and in his attempts to replace national Israel with the church (Replacement Theology). So Jesus gives a final warning:

Revelation 22.18,19
I testify and warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book [its predictions, consolations, and admonitions]: if anyone adds [anything] to them, God will add to him the plagues (afflictions, calamities) which are written in this book;
and if anyone takes away from or distorts the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away [from that one] his share from the tree of life and from the holy city (new Jerusalem), which are written in this book.

The important biblical concepts discussed in these seven short articles are summarized below in a timeline:

Man’s Destiny – As God Intended

The apostle Paul described man’s destiny as a mystery. He said that mortal man was meant to become immortal (that is the plan of his Maker) and then live with His Maker eternally. This is a truly mind-blowing concept, but that is what the Bible says.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 15 verses 50-54, Paul wrote:

What I mean, friends, is that what is made of flesh and blood cannot share in God’s Kingdom, and what is mortal cannot possess immortality.

Listen to this secret truth: we shall not all die, but when the last trumpet sounds, we shall all be changed in an instant, as quickly as the blinking of an eye. For when the trumpet sounds, the dead will be raised, never to die again, and we shall all be changed. For what is mortal must be changed into what is immortal; what will die must be changed into what cannot die. So when this takes place, and the mortal has been changed into the immortal, then the scripture will come true: “Death is destroyed; victory is complete!”

There is a caveat here: this amazing transition to immortality is conditional, as explained below.

Man’s Eternal Home – the New Earth

A popular view is that when we die we go to live in heaven. But the Bible doesn’t say that. It doesn’t say that man’s reward is to go permanently to heaven. Heaven is God’s throne and earth is meant for man. But man will not spend eternity on this earth! The truth is that a New Heaven and a New Earth is prophesied. And it is in the new and perfect earth where God comes and walks with man, as He did in the Garden of Eden. A perfect God-man relationship will be restored. Such prophecies are brief and full of symbolism – little detail is revealed. But the concept and promise is there (and the caveat is there too)! Here’s what the Bible says about this amazing promise:

In Revelation 21: 1-7, we read about John’s vision:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

Did you see it? Did you see God’s caveat? God says He will fulfill this amazing promise “to the thirsty”. What about those who do not believe and are not thirsty for a relationship with their Creator? Revelation 21.8 says:

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars — they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.

The amazing promise of eternal life with our Creator is conditional. We must first reach out to God through the living Jesus Christ. In doing so our lives will be totally changed. Jesus said this eternal and perfect destiny can be ours by simply believing and trusting in Him. We can of course choose not to believe, and many do so. One more thing. Before the passing away of the present earth, prophecy strongly suggests that there will be a glorious time of peace on this earth when Jesus returns. And believers will play a major role as immortal beings!

NEXT

A Contract – God’s Covenant with Israel

A “contract” can be defined as an agreement between two parties which obliges each party to do or not to do a certain thing. It is an agreement with promises of delivery, but also with stipulations and penalty clauses. In the time of Moses God made such a contract with the people (nation) of Israel, although the Bible refers to it as as “God’s covenant”.

God made a contract with Israel at Mount Sinai via His servant Moses. They were to follow the statutes of holy living, various laws and observe mandated Holy Feasts at their appointed time. Their mission was to teach the world by their example and be God’s witness to the nations. Moses was instructed to spell out God’s contract to the Israelites:

In Exodus 19: 5-8 we read:
Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession. Although the whole earth is Mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord.This is confirmed in Deuteronomy 7:12:
If you listen to these commands and obey them faithfully, then the Lord your God will continue to keep his covenant with you and will show you his constant love, as he promised your ancestors.

In biblical terminology this contract between God and Israel is often referred to as the Mosaic Covenant. The “if-then” statement in these verses reveals that it was conditional. Israel had to be obedient to God’s requirements in order to receive His blessings.

Israel Broke God’s Covenant – So the Penalties ‘Kicked-In’

As history shows, the people of Israel strayed from their promise on Mount Sinai. They failed to keep to the ways God had stipulated in the contract. As punishment, her people were sent into captivity by the ferocious Babylonians. And when Jesus came He wept for His people for He knew they were going to suffer and be dispersed amongst the nations. Let’s read some of the fine print in the contract. In Deuteronomy 28:1-16, we read:

Blessings for Obedience

1If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:

7The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.

8The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.

9The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. 10Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you.11The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.

12The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.

Curses for Disobedience

15However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you:

The Contract Renewed

As discussed, Israel failed and broke the contract, and so in the New Testament era the contract was offered to Gentiles – namely the church. Today the church has the opportunity to receive the blessings of the contract (God’s blessings). All she has to do is keep her side of the contract by being God’s witness to the nations. She has to preach the good news (the Gospel). That said, in these end times, a remnant of Israel is once more fulfilling her mission, together with the contracted Gentiles.

Today we see the return of the Jews back to their God-given homeland (Canaan). We see the establishment of the State of Israel. We see a nation turning to the statutes God laid down under Moses. We see the majority of the nation now following God’s Holy Feasts and keeping the Jewish Sabbath. As a result, the nation of Israel is once more being blessed in the country (abundant agriculture), blessed in the city (technological innovation) and blessed in the sea (discovery of large natural resources). We also see God’s amazing protection (as in the 6-day war), and God building a numerous people as in the birth of numerous sons and daughters.

NEXT

The Fall of Man – Paradise was Lost

PARADISE (EDEN) WAS LOST, BUT THE APOSTLE JOHN WROTE THAT IT WILL BE RESTORED IN THE FUTURE.
In the Creation account of Genesis, we read about a paradise-like garden called Eden, where two important trees were planted by God: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. These trees seem to have been deliberately planted to test how humans would use their free will. As the story recounts, the first humans failed the test and were driven away from Paradise.

Let’s read about the creation of mankind:

Genesis 2.8-15

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground — trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

The Redemption of Man – Paradise Restored

Genesis tells us that Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which was supposed to make them die. They didn’t die immediately, but they did die of old age, like all mortals. It seems that mortality was the consequence of eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Mortality was the consequence of the wrong free will choice. What if they hadn’t eaten the forbidden fruit and simply obeyed the rules God imposed in Eden? Would they have been given the gift of immortality as a reward? Would they have continued to live and not die? It seems that, given free choice (free will), mankind made the wrong choice.

We can dismiss the Genesis account as myth, and many do. At the outset it seems unfair on the rest of mankind. But it does explain everyday experience. It explains how man’s free will (choice) can be destructive, or constructive. It explains the chosen paths of Hitler and Wilberforce for example; one man destroyed humanity whilst the other helped humanity. In a fallen world who can deny that man can do either?

The Genesis account also gives hope for mortal man. The Bible says the whole of creation, including mankind, will return to a state of paradise in the future. The Apostle John wrote in the book of Revelation that Eden will be restored and populated by all who believe in Jesus.

Revelation 22:1-5

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

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God’s Plan for Mankind – We must be Born Again

In Genesis chapter 1 we read that God made mankind male and female and blessed them to be “fruitful and multiply”. Why did the Creator of the universe give man the mandate to procreate and proliferate? Think about the billions of humans born since the world began. What were they born for? Where have they all gone? What did they live for? Did their lives have any real meaning? The answer to these questions is found in a mystery: we must be changed or “born again” as the Bible puts it.

Israel’s King David asked a similar question. He wrote in the 8th Psalm:

“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”

Here’s the Answer – Spiritual Rebirth

The apostle John boldly tells us that all we observe was made through Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew). From human cells to the earth and the starry heavens – all were made through Jesus (John chapter 1). The atomic constants and the molecular structure of matter were made through Jesus. And the Bible tells us that this same Jesus came into the world to show man how to live. John goes on to say that all who believe in Jesus are given the right to become children of God. These are children not born through a woman’s pregnancy, but born of God. This is a mystery accepted by faith. In John 1:9-14, we read:

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

This speaks of two births of man: a physical birth through woman and a spiritual birth through God’s Spirit. In John 3 Jesus said:

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

Note that Jesus leaves the ball in our court! It’s up to an individual to choose to believe in Jesus and be born a second time! It’s up to us to find the meaning of life through Jesus.

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Inspired Hebrew Scriptures – Powerful Words

According to the Pew Research Center, an astounding 2.2 billion people in the world base their religious beliefs and worldview on text written by Hebraic men who wrote bold declarations about the world’s origins, future, and man’s ultimate destiny. Interpretations of the Bible abound, but what is actually written?

In Romans the 3rd chapter, the apostle Paul wrote:
Do the Jews have any advantage over the Gentiles? Or is there any value in being circumcised? Much, indeed, in every way! In the first place, God trusted his message to the Jews.

Put another way, here Paul is saying that the inspired Hebrew scriptures of the Jews are the very words of God!

Let’s put aside religious biases, mystical interpretations, or even our secular worldview. Let’s read with an open mind what the Bible tells us about our origins and our future. Right at the beginning we read a mystery, namely, that the God of the Bible reproduces “His kind”. In the Genesis account of man’s creation the Bible speaks of “mankind made in God’s image”:

In Genesis 1:26
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

But what does it mean “to be made in God’s image”?

The Bible says “God is Spirit” but clearly we are “flesh and blood”. So isn’t something wrong here? No. We need to look to man’s future. In chapter 8 of Paul’s letter to the Romans he spoke a mystery. He said creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. He spoke of a hope of man’s “spirit form” in the future, as distinct from flesh and blood. Instead of “mankind” or “fleshkind” he was really speaking of man as a “spiritkind” or “Godkind”.

In Romans 8:18-23
I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. All of creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal his children … For we know that up to the present time all of creation groans with pain, like the pain of childbirth. But it is not just creation alone which groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God’s gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us his children and set our whole being free.

These are powerful and inspired words. Paul is saying that both creation and man himself groan due to imperfection and mortality. But it is possible for mankind to be translated to an immortal “spiritkind” like his Creator. He sums it up like this:

1 Corinthians 15.53
For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality

This will happen at some point in the future. As we read on in the Bible we discover that man in immortal (spirit) form will one day live with his Creator God on a new and perfect earth! Now that blows your mind!

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Speech in Support of Israel

Historian Andrew Roberts, British House of Commons, 29 November 2010

I would like to speak to you today as an historian, because it seems to me that the State of Israel has packed more history into her 62 years on the planet than many other nations have in six hundred. There are many surprising things about this tiny, feisty, brave nation the size of Wales, but the most astonishing is that she has survived at all. The very day after the UN declared Israel a country in 1948, five Arab countries attacked, and she has been struggling for her right to life ever since. And that is what we are here for today, to reiterate Israel’s right to self-defense, inherent in all legitimate countries.

From Morocco to Afghanistan, from the Caspian Sea to Aden, the 5.25 million square miles of territory belonging to members of the Arab League is home to over 330 million people, whereas Israel covers only eight thousand square miles, and is home to seven million citizens, one-fifth of whom are Arabs. The Jews of the Holy Land are thus surrounded by hostile states 650 times their size in territory and sixty times their population, yet their last, best hope of ending two millennia of international persecution, the State of Israel has somehow survived. When during the Second World War, the island of Malta came through three terrible years of bombardment and destruction, it was rightly awarded the George Medal for bravery; today Israel should be awarded a similar decoration for defending democracy, tolerance and Western values against a murderous onslaught that has lasted twenty times as long.

Refugees – Political Pawns

Jerusalem is the site of the Temple of Solomon and Herod. The stones of a palace erected by King David himself are even now being unearthed just outside the walls of Jerusalem. Everything that makes a nation state legitimate– bloodshed, soil tilled, two millennia of continuous residence, international agreements ,argues for Israel’s right to exist, yet that is still denied by the Arab League. For many of their governments, which are rich enough to have economically solved the Palestinian refugee problem decades ago, it is useful to have Israel as a scapegoat to divert attention from the tyranny, failure and corruption of their own regimes.

The tragic truth is that it suits Arab states very well to have the Palestinians endure permanent refugee status, and whenever Israel puts forward workable solutions they have been stymied by those whose interests put the destruction of Israel before the genuine well being of the Palestinians. Both King Abdullah I of Jordan and Anwar Sadat of Egypt were assassinated when they attempted to come to some kind of accommodation with a country that most sane people now accept is not going away.

“We owe to the Jews,” wrote Winston Churchill in 1920, “a system of ethics which, even if it were entirely separated from the supernatural, would be incomparably the most precious possession of mankind, worth in fact the fruits of all wisdom and learning put together. The Jewish contribution to finance, science, the arts, academia, commerce and industry, literature, philanthropy and politics has been astonishing relative to their tiny numbers. Although they make up less than half of one percent of the world population, between 1901 and 1950 Jews won 14% of all the Nobel Prizes awarded for Literature and Science, and between 1951 and 2000 Jews won 32% of the Nobel Prizes for Medicine, 32% for Physics, 39% for Economics and 29% for Science. This, despite so many of their greatest intellects dying in the gas chambers.”

Civilization owes Judaism a debt it can never repay, and support for the right of a Jewish homeland to exist is the bare minimum we can provide. Yet we tend to treat Israel like a leper on the international scene, merely for defending herself, and threatening her with academic boycotts if she builds a separation wall that has so far reduced suicide bombings by 95% over three years.

UK Foreign Office Bias

It is a disgrace that no senior member of the Royal Family has ever undertaken an official visit to Israel, as though the country is still in quarantine after more than six decades. Her Majesty the Queen has been on the throne for 57 years and in that time has undertaken 250 official visits to 129 countries, yet has not yet set foot in Israel. She has visited 14 Arab countries, so it cannot have been that she wasn’t in the region. Although Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice, is buried on the Mount of Olives because of her status as Righteous Among Gentiles, the Foreign Office ordained that his visit to his mother’s grave in 1994 had to be in a private capacity only. Royal visits are one of the ways legitimacy is conferred on nations, and the Coalition Government should end the Foreign Office’s de- facto boycott. After the Holocaust, the Jewish people recognized that they must have their own state, a homeland where they could forever be safe from a repetition of such horrors. Putting their trust in Western Civilization was never again going to be enough. Since then, Israel has had to fight no fewer than five major wars for her very existence.

She has been on the front line in the War against Terror and has been fighting the West’s battles for it, decades before 9/11 or 7/7 ever happened. Radical Islam is never going to accept the concept of an Israeli State, so the struggle is likely to continue for another sixty years, but the Jews know that that is less dangerous than entrusting their security to anyone else.

Media Bias

Very often in Britain, especially when faced with the overwhelmingly anti-Israeli bias that is endemic in our liberal media and the BBC, we fail to ask ourselves what we would have done placed in their position? The population of the United Kingdom of 63 million is nine times that of Israel. In July 2006, to take one example at random, Hezbollah crossed the border of Lebanon into Israel and killed eight patrolmen and kidnapped two others, and that summer fired four thousand Katyusha rockets into Israel which killed a further forty-three civilians.

Now, if we multiply those numbers by nine to get the British equivalent, just imagine what we would do if a terrorist organization based as close as Calais were to fire thirty-six thousand rockets into Sussex and Kent, killing 87 British civilians, after killing seventy-two British servicemen in an ambush and capturing eighteen. There is absolutely no lengths to which our Government would not go to protect British subjects under those circumstances, and quite right too. Why should Israel be expected to behave any differently?

In the course of researching my latest book on the Second World War, I recently visited Auschwitz-Birkenau. Walking along a line of huts and the railway siding where their forebears had been worked and starved and beaten and frozen and gassed to death, were a group of Jewish schoolchildren, one of whom was carrying over his shoulder the Israeli flag, a blue star of David on white background. It was a profoundly moving sight, for it was the sovereign independence represented by that flag which guarantees that the obscenity of genocide which killed six million people in Auschwitz and camps like it — will never again befall the Jewish people, to whom the rest of civilization owes so much.

I said at the start that I was speaking to you as an historian, and so I say:

No people in History have needed the right to self-defense and legitimacy more than the Jews of Israel, and that is what we in the Friends of Israel Initiative demand here today.

Life in the Millennial Age

Prophecy paints a picture of a world at peace (no war) with Jerusalem (Zion) as the focal point since Christ dwells there. Of His sanctuary near Jerusalem the LORD says:

“This is the place of My feet, where I shall dwell in the midst of the children of Israel” (Ezek 43.7)

Millennial life around Jerusalem is described in some detail. Nations will willingly go up to Jerusalem to worship the LORD and listen to His teaching (Mic 4.2 Isa 66.23). It also appears that some of the Hebrew festivals are reinstated, as in the Feast of Tabernacles (Zech 14.16). Man will still have his daily work but there is some indication that the bias of work will be towards husbandry (farming) and hunting (fishing) rather than industrial manufacturing (Ezek 47.10 Isa 60.5, 65.21 Amos 9.13,14). People will be born and will die in the Millennial earth, just as in the present age. Man’s life span may well extend to at least 100 years (Isa 65.20,22) but physical death inevitably follows. Death is the last enemy and is not destroyed until the close of the Millennium. More …

Israel in the Millennial Age

The Millennial Age on earth provides a forum for the completion of God’s unconditional covenants with Israel – the Abrahamic, Davidic, Palestinian and New Covenants. Specifically, during the millennium, Israel will come a great nation, Christ will establish His kingdom and sit on David’s throne, the tribes of Israel will have been fully restored to the land promised to Abraham, and God will write His Law on the hearts of both Jew and Gentile. After some 2,500 years of dispersion amongst the nations, Israel will again take on her intended role in the world:

So the restoration of Israel will be a sign or witness to the nations that the God of Israel, the God of the Bible, the only true God, loves mankind. In fact, during the Millennial Age God actually comes to dwell with Israel and the nations through Jesus the Messiah at Jerusalem:

“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst … Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people” (Zech 2.10-11)

The seven-branched lampstand (Israel’s Menorah) well-summarizes the purpose of Israel both now and in the Millennium. The center branch represents Divine light (understanding) from God and the six branches represent human efforts to spread this light to the Gentiles (Isa 42.6).

The Gentile nations will honour Israel

The millennial age is one of firm government from Christ, but also one of universal peace. Corrupt world governments will have been crushed and Christ’s Kingdom will embrace the whole earth (Dan 2.35). The Gentile nations at last acknowledge Jerusalem (Zion) as “the Holy City” (Isa 52.1):

“The Gentiles will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn … the sons of foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you … the sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel” (Isa 60.3,10,14)

Millennial Jerusalem will also be called “the LORD is there” (Ezek 48.35) and nations will go up from year to year to worship the LORD (Zech 14.16). In fact, they will especially honor the Jew:

“In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you'” (Zech 8.23)

Future Geological Changes around Jerusalem

The Mount of Olives will split into two

When Christ returns the geology of the area will be totally changed and the Mount of Olives just east of Jerusalem splits into two (enlarge image). It splits east-west with half the mountain moving north and half moving south, generating “a very large valley … reaching to Azal” (Zech 14.4,5). Azal may be several km south of the present-day Mount of Olives, link. It is well known that there is a geological fault line running east-west through the Mount of Olives and just south of Jerusalem, link. Could it be that present-day Jerusalem is moved north to sit high above this valley? Ezekiel 40.2 and Zech 14.10 suggest that the millennial Jerusalem is elevated above a plain.

Ezekiel 45 and 48 provide amazing detail of a (probably new) temple – the LORDS’s sanctuary – located just north of the city area (see map). Note that healing waters flow east from the temple down into the valley to enter the northern end of the Dead sea, resulting in the restoration of fishing (Ezek 47.1-10).

When is “the end of the World”?

Jesus talked about world events at the “end of the age” in Mat 24.3. Here ‘age’ is translated from the Greek ‘aión’, meaning ‘an age’ or ‘a cycle of time’ (not ‘world’ as sometimes translated). So here Jesus was referring to a time dispensation rather than to the literal end of the world. Study of prophecy strongly implies that the ‘end of the age’ and ‘the end of the world’ are separated by 1,000 years.

It appears that we currently nearing the end of approximately 6,000 years of human government and the start of 1,000 years of peace on the earth – the Millennial Age when Christ rules the earth (Zech 14.9). After this comes the literal ‘end of the world’ – the physical destruction of the present earth through intense heat (2 Pet 3.7,10). It is interesting that NASA scientists predict that, eventually, the sun will expand to become a red giant and burn up the solar system, including earth, link.

God Intervenes in World Affairs

Future wars against Israel will be different from previous wars. Whilst some claim that the 6-Day war in June 1967 was miraculous in that Israel overcame huge superiority in armour, aircraft and troops, future wars will certainly be unique. These wars will directly glorify the God of Israel as He openly defeats the attacking forces. After the (largely Islamic) Gog-Magog war we read:

“I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgement which I have executed” (Ezek 39.21)

And during the final war against Israel prophecy says that God will again clearly intervene to protect His people:

“Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle” (Zech 14.3)

This battle concludes with the Second Coming of Christ to reign as King over all the earth (Zech 14.9), the last form of human government (probably centered on the EU) having been taken away like ‘chaff in the wind’ (Dan 2.34,35). God indeed intervenes in world affairs!

Israel – God’s Witness in this Age and in the Next

A primary reason for the existence of Israel is that she is God’s “witness and servant” in the world (Isa 43.10). This has been true in history and is true for the future. At the very end of this age 144,000 are drawn from twelve tribes of Israel and sealed for their protection (Rev 7.3,4). As God’s witnesses and servants they are to ‘turn many to righteousness’ (Dan 12.3) in very troubled times as nations crumble (Lk 21.25, Dan 2.34,35) and God’s judgments on the earth begin. The result of their witness is a great turning to God from all the nations (Rev 7.9,10)

The remnant of Israel who enter the millennial age with Christ continue this witness and servant hood, and some are sent to the nations to declare God’s glory (Isa 66.19). At last, the Gentile nations acknowledge and value the unique role of the Jew:

“In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you'” (Zech 8.23)

Still others become priests and keep charge of the (new) Jewish temple in Jerusalem (Isa 66.21, Exod 44.15).

Israel’s Survivors

Despite the intervention of the God of Israel to protect her, two end-time wars against Israel must surely take their toll? And (perhaps between these wars) Israel also goes through a time of distress or ‘tribulation’ referred to in Dan 12.1 and Mat 24.15-25. This is the severe persecution of Israel under the final world government and world ruler, link – the time of ‘Jacob’s trouble’ (Jer 30.7). But throughout Israel’s history, despite 3,000 years of persecution, God always leaves a remnant of Israel as His witness. So during the last days a remnant is preserved, albeit through a time of refining and affliction:

“See, I have refined you … I have tested you in the furnace of affliction” (Isa 48.10)“I will not destroy you completely. But I will chasten you justly and will by no means leave you unpunished” (Jer 30.11)

So how many survive these onslaughts on Israel?

“One third shall be left … I will bring the one-third through the fire … (and) they will call upon My name … (and) I will say, ‘This is My people'” (Zech 13.8,9)

So it is this one-third remnant of Israel that survives these times and comes through, refined as silver and tested as gold, to be God’s worthy servant in the millennial reign of Christ, link.

The Fate of the Attacking Nations

Prophecy indicates that there will be several major wars against Israel in the near future, just before Christ returns to rule the earth as King (Zech 14.9). The so-called Gog-Magog war in Ezek 38-39 results in the attackers being defeated by the intervention of the God of Israel, rather than by the armies of Israel (Ezek 39.3). This is in the form of extreme weather – extreme rain, hail and snow – and also by fire and brimstone similar to that which destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Ezek 38.22)(Job 38.22,23). They fall on the open fields and mountains (Heb ‘har’ – hill country) of Israel and fail to reach Jerusalem (Ezek 38.19). The Golan Heights must be involved.

There will be an ‘all-nation’ invasion of Israel at the very end of the age, with Jerusalem the objective (Zech 14.2). This man-God war could involve neutron bombs since these vaporize flesh at close range. Such a fate of the invaders is suggested in Zech 14.12. The attackers may also be destroyed by nuclear devices since Malachi 4 refers to a time of fierce heat when invaders are burnt to ashes.

Major war against Israel is Imminent

Bible prophecy describes how the increasing political bias of western nations, and the increasing aggression of Arab-Muslim nations finally leads to another major war against Israel. In fact, since prophecy is not precise, some see several major Middle East wars just before the close of this age and the Second Coming of Christ.

A future invasion of northern Israel is strongly indicated in Ezek 38 and Ezek 39. The countries involved appear to be mainly the Islamic nations surrounding Israel, possibly led by Iran and Russia. The invasion could be imminent given the present Russian-Iranian alliance and Iran’s declared hatred of Israel. At the very end of this age prophecy indicates that all nations (Gentile and Islamic) will attempt a final invasion of Israel:

“I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle” (Zech 14.2)
“I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone … though all nations of the earth are gathered against it” (Zech 12.3)

This latter war appears to be unique in that it is not primarily man against man, but man against God; it is commonly known as Armageddon (Rev 16.16, 19.19). Both invasions are defeated by the God of Israel. More …

The real reason for the aggression against Israel

The real reason for the aggression is spiritual, not political or even humanitarian. You may reject the concept of a spiritual world co-existing with the physical world, but it is a fact; Jesus Christ proved beyond doubt that the spiritual world exists. Israel is the central player in that spiritual world. She is God’s chosen witness in the world and it is through Israel that Christ came (He was of the tribe of Judah) to provide redemption for the world. He proved that too, by His resurrection from the dead. But the truth about this powerful spiritual world is blurred, corrupted and buried by spiritual forces of darkness:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6.12)

These forces blind the nations – the politicians, the media, the institutionalized church, the man in the street and the adherents of political Islam such that they “believe a lie” (2 Thes 2.10,11). In fact, the spiritual aggression shown to Israel (and to the true followers of Christ) will intensify towards the end of this age (Rev 12.13-17).

Israel’s Islamic Enemies

The problem is that Israel is now occupying land previously conquered by Islam. Muslims conquered The Levant (which embraces all of Israel and much more, link) in the 7th century and the land of Israel remained in Muslim hands (apart from the brief Crusader period) until liberated from the Muslim Turks by the British in 1917. According to Islamic ideology, once Islam conquers a territory it is to remain under Islamic dominion forever, and Islam is humiliated when such territories are lost to ‘infidels’, link. So Islam wants the Levant back!

As the 1988 Hamas Charter states, “Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it”. Today this extreme ideology is underscored by ISIL. The term means ‘Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’, so the destruction of Israel and the re-establishment of an Islamic caliphate in the land of Israel is the declared objective of militant Islam, link. The Levant objective falls under the general Islamic ideology of a world-wide caliphate, link.

Israel and the Church

Fundamentalist Christians believe that modern Israel, and not the church, will be central in world affairs at the close of this age. They believe that prophecy shows that Israel will become (if not already) God’s main witness in the world. Sadly this is not generally true of the western institutionalized church, which usually holds to ‘replacement theology’ i.e. the church and not Israel is God’s main witness today, link. They believe that since God rejected Israel then the Christian church is now God’s chosen people, not the Jewish people. Put simply, today’s church is often blind to her Jewish roots. This view is of course incompatible with Christ’s teaching, namely, that the gospel (as spread by the church) should be first conveyed to God’s people, the house of Israel (Mat 10.6). God wants the church to call His people, wherever they are, back to Himself.

The result of such unbiblical teaching is that the institutionalized church takes the world’s view and essentially rejects modern-day Israel, and so pays little attention to end-time prophecy about Israel. This is spearheaded by the World Council of Churches (WCC) which has called on member churches (Anglican, Methodist …) to support an international boycott of Israeli settlement produce and services, link.

Why Boycott Israel?

Boycotts are social protests with the aim of changing Israeli government policy through economic damage. For instance, the global BDS campaign (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) aims to create economic and political pressure on Israel concerning (so-called) land occupation and Palestinian rights. Divestment is where investors refrain from investing in Israeli companies or in companies that trade with Israel, and consumers boycott Israeli products, especially products from Israeli settlements in so-called “Occupied Palestinian Territory”. But International law firmly states that Israel is not in ‘occupation’, link.

Are boycotts effective anyway? Maybe not. Israel is still prospering, with the highest average living standards in the Middle East, the highest density of high-tech start-up companies in the world (high-tech exports c$19bn a year) and a lower Government debt to GDP than the USA or the UK.

So is there a deeper reason for the boycotts? Probably. It is claimed that the BDS campaign has a much wider objective; namely, the elimination of the Jewish State and should be stopped, link. But those who boycott Israel should heed the biblical warning:

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse” (Gen 12.3)

Israel and the UN

Without doubt there is an overall bias in the UN against Israel. Between 1955 and 2013 there were 77 UN resolutions against Israel, and just one against the Palestinians, link. In 2015 the UN General Assembly adopted 20 resolutions against Israel, but only 3 against the rest of the world [UN Watch]. How can Israel be so wrong?

Israel is often accused of being the aggressor in conflicts, whereas Israel claims she wages defensive war after provocation, link. Resolutions accuse Israel of settling in “Occupied Palestinian Territory”, and ignore Article 80 of the UN Charter which upholds the right of Jews to settle anywhere west of the Jordan! Other resolutions refer to the on-going Palestinian refugee problem, but many see this now as a political tool by Arab nations, link, link. But the UN is not all bad: in 2015 the UN began to address issues of concern to the Jewish community, particularly anti-Semitism.

Bias Against Israel

From the rise of Zionism to the present day, Israel has not been welcomed on the world scene. There is a majority bias against Israel from the UN, the media, NGOs, and the man in the street. Why? After all, Israel is just some 8 million people living on land the size of Wales! Here’s the real reason (although you probably won’t agree):

Politicians, the media, and many NGO’s are really just pawns in a spiritual battle between truth and error, between light and darkness, between Christ and His adversary Satan. Israel is a special nation chosen by God to be His witness in the world and to bring redemption to the world through Christ, link. Israel is ‘a light to the nations’ (Isa 49.6). Satan knows all this and end-time prophecy underscores the attempts by Satan to eliminate Israel:

Jerusalem – a Special City

King David conquered Jerusalem in 1052 BC and today, in the Old City of Jerusalem (enlarge image), lies the rock (Mount Moriah) where Abraham offered up Isaac for sacrifice to God around 1800 BC (Gen 22.2). The deep significance of this to Jewish, Christian and Muslim beliefs makes Jerusalem one of the most contested pieces of real estate in the world. This is particularly true for orthodox Jews who believe that Jerusalem is center-stage of the land of Canaan promised to Abraham’s descendants, and for Christians who believe that Jesus was crucified and resurrected in the city, and will soon return to the Mount of Olives just east of the Old City.

Given these historic and certain future events, we can see that the various claims on Jerusalem are actually the outworking of a spiritual battle over Jerusalem, a battle between truth and error, between the God of Israel and spiritual forces of darkness. So, on the one hand we see the Vatican demanding control over Jerusalem’s religious sites, link, the UN stating that Jerusalem should be the capital of both Israel and Palestine, and Palestinians claiming Jerusalem as their capital. On the other hand, orthodox Jews claim their historic and covenant right to the city. No wonder Jerusalem will be the location of the most epic battle of history! More …

Israel’s Leaders Speak Truth to the World

“Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us” [Golda Meir, 1957]

“From my childhood, I have believed Jews and Arabs can live together, and I believe now they should live together. All the rights to this country, to the land of Israel – especially Judea and Samaria – are Jewish … but everyone who lives in the country should have all the rights of the country” [Ariel Sharon, April 1989]

“The truth is that if Israel were to put down its arms there would be no more Israel. If the Arabs were to put down their arms there would be no more war” [Benjamin Netanyahu, 2006]

“We must constantly repeat that the root of the conflict is the very existence of the State of Israel” [Benjamin Netanyahu, 2012]

“The nuclear deal with Iran does not block Iran’s path to the bomb, it paves Iran’s path to the bomb” [Benjamin Netanyahu, August 2015]

The Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Problem

The is a solution, but prophecy indicates that it will not occur in this present age. The Bible instructs the people of Israel how they should treat foreigners (non-Jews). Old Testament Israel was commanded to love foreigners (Deut 10.19) and to let them live normal lives amongst them:

“When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall do him no wrong … (he) … shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself” (Lev 19.33,34)

This instruction is timeless and applies to Palestinian Arabs today. Unfortunately, as long as Arab countries refuse to recognize Israel and continue to attack her, such cohabitation would seem to be impossible. But Israel will be at peace with her neighbours in the Millennium!

There’s no Two-state Solution

Most of the western world aims for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem. The UN has even resolved to raise the Palestinian flag at the UN headquarters after upgrading the Palestinians’ status to a “non-member observer State” – even though no such state exists! In reality there can be no lasting, workable two-state solution. Here’s why.

According to a recent Stanley Greenberg poll, only 34% of Palestinians accept two states for two peoples as the solution. Sixty-six percent said the Palestinians’ real goal should be to start with a two-state solution but then move to it all being one Palestinian state, link. This reflects the PA leadership position:

“We will never accept a Palestinian state without Jerusalem as its capital” [Mahmoud Abbas, May, 2011]

The problem here is that Israel has already declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel, and this is compounded by the Palestinian leadership which does not even recognize the Jewish State:

“Palestine will not recognize Israel as Jewish state” [Abbas, 2014]

Add to this the Hamas objective of replacing the Jewish State with an Islamic caliphate, link, then the ‘two-state solution’ is clearly impossible!

The West Bank

The West Bank refers to an area bounded by the so-called ‘Green Line’ and the west bank of the River Jordan (SEE MAP). The Green line was an armistice line drawn up after the 1948-49 war under the auspices of the UN and it was intended to be temporary. So, through Arab aggression, Israel temporarily lost land mandated to her through the 1922 Mandate for Palestine, and this was only regained in the 1967 6-day war. The Green Line is not therefore Israel’s legal border, link, and all of western Palestine, from the Jordan to the Mediterranean remains legally open to Jewish settlement under the original 1922 Mandate. That includes the West Bank.

Under the 1995 Oslo Accords II, the West Bank was divided into three areas (A, B, and C) and within these areas the Palestinian and Israeli authorities have different levels of control. Area A is under full control of the Palestinian Authority, Area B is under Palestinian civil control and shared Palestinian and Israeli security control, and Area C (62% of the West Bank) is under full Israeli control. Some 350,000 Jewish settlers live in the relatively lightly populated Area C, link.

Who Backs Israel Today?

Israel’s strongest ally, the US, provides a diplomatic shield for her at the United Nations. This protects Israel’s desire to maintain the status quo and refrain from reaching an accommodation with the Palestinians. So the US can veto any UN resolution calling for the creation of a Palestinian state. Traditionally, the UK government has had good relations with Israel, including good intelligence cooperation, and has been viewed as one of the world’s friendliest countries to Israel, link. In recent years, India has expressed the desire to “deepen and develop” ties with Israel, and some see India as “Israel’s best friend in South Asia”. There is also muted and occasional support from the UN and the EU, but this is usually outweighed by condemnation in other areas.

Currently, Israel has strong support from some western NGO’s like Freedom House. There are 21 governmental and intergovernmental entities (including the EU) that financially support Israeli NGOs, link, although some of these are politically biased and represent the interests of foreign governments, link.

Israel: A Middle East Democracy

In contrast to other Middle Eastern countries, Israel has a western-style democracy. Whilst not perfect, this means that Israelis of all ethnic groups and religious beliefs, including Arab-Israelis, can actively participate in the election process, and all votes cast are equal in weight. Also, Israel is one of the few places in the Middle East where Arab women may vote. The principle of the generality of the elections ensures the active right of every Israeli citizen, who is at least 18 years old, to vote and the right of every Israeli citizen, who is at least 21 years old, to be elected. No voter ever votes for an actual person. Instead, every voter votes for a single party.

Israel is considered by third parties to be the only ‘free’ country in the region in that there is a climate of respect for civil liberties, freedom of expression, significant independent civic life, an independent media, and a military under civilian rule, link. More …

Israel’s Government

The Israeli government resides in Jerusalem. This is where Israel’s Parliament (the Knesset) stands and legislates and where the Prime Minister, the President and the Cabinet have their offices (enlarge image). The location is politically sensitive in that the international community regard Jerusalem as part of both Israel and Palestine, and even that Jerusalem is ‘not part of Israel’ [US Supreme Court, 2015].

Israel is governed by a western-style multiparty parliamentary system. The government is headed by the Prime Minister, who is elected in nationwide elections for a period of four years, and an elected President who has a largely apolitical ceremonial role.

The Knesset has legislative power and comprises 120 members who are also elected for a term of four years in nationwide elections. The electoral (voting) system is based on nation-wide proportional representation. This differs from the ‘first past the post’ system in the US and UK, and permits small parties to be elected.

Israel’s Water

Some 80% of Israel’s natural water is in the north and the National Water Carrier (NWC) system conveys water from Lake Galilee southwards. The NWC was started in 1959 and now comprises a system of giant pipes, open canals, tunnels, reservoirs and large scale pumping stations (enlarge image).

But with a rapidly growing population, Israel’s total annual renewable natural sources of fresh water are well below the UN definition of water poverty. So today Israel is meeting much of its water needs by purifying seawater from the Mediterranean and some 80% of domestic water in Israeli cities comes from desalinated water (the desalination facilities are connected to the NWC). Israel also reuses treated sewage, and computerized drip irrigation and micro-sprinklers for agriculture. Under the 1995 Oslo II Accord, Israel continues to supply agreed water amounts to Palestinian areas. In 2012, per capita water use was 150 MCM (million cubic meters) for Israelis and 140 MCM for Palestinians.

Israel’s Climate Change

Bible prophecy over end-time Israel speaks of great blessings on the land. This will be in terms of abundant agricultural produce – grains, fruit and wine (Ezek 36.29,30) and nations will remark that desolate land has become “like the garden of Eden” (Ezek 36.35). All this of course requires water. Over the past 100 years Israel has engineered a national water carrier system and desalination plants, and she drains water from large aquifers under the desert. But what of the climate? Has there been a change in rainfall?

The Jewish National Fund has planted over 250 million trees, which are known to be beneficial to the climate. But to date rainfall statistics show no long-term rainfall improvement since the 1970’s, link. For this reason, in 2014 the Chief Rabbinate of Israel urged the public to begin saying a special prayer daily to ask God to bless Israel with abundant rain (enlarge image). All over Israel, people now recite this prayer. Israel’s climate change is certain since her God is faithful to His promises. In the last days God promises Israel:

“I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing” (Ezek 34.26)
“He will cause the rain to come down for you … the former and the latter rain” (Joel 2.23)

Israel’s Blessing

Before Moses died he blessed the tribes of Israel and some of these blessings involved blessing of the sea and the land. Joseph was to be blessed with ‘precious things from the deep (Heb ‘tehom’: sea, abyss) lying beneath’ (Deut 33.13), Asher was to ‘dip his foot in oil’ (Deut 34.24) and Zebulun and Issachar were to find ‘treasures hidden in the sand’ (Deut 33.19).

Israel may be seeing these blessings today (enlarge map). In 2014, Israel’s proved reserves of natural gas were 10.1 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), and it is estimated that Israel may discover up to 200 Tcf. Also, Israel has one of the world’s largest deposits of shale oil, with a potential of some 250 billion barrels in the Shfela basin. Recent drilling has found thick oil strata in the Southern Golan Heights north-east of the Sea of Galilee. The Dead Sea contains some 45,000 million tons of salts rich in minerals which are exploited by Israel’s mining sector. And the Negev desert has an almost unlimited underground supply of brackish water, which is being exploited for agricultural irrigation. More …

Israel’s Land Improvements

Arava agriculture. Image: Central and Northern Arava R&D

As Jews started returning to their homeland around the start of the 20th century, the need to combat desertification became one of national importance. New immigrants embarked upon an extensive program of afforestation, and since 1900 almost 250 million sub-tropical trees have been planted in all regions of Israel. Over half of Israel’s saline soil is arid or semi-arid and only 20% is arable. Even so, Israeli farmers have come a long way since the Zionist pioneers began clearing rock-strewn fields and draining the swampland. Since Israel’s establishment in 1948, the country has almost tripled the territory used for farming and production has multiplied 16 times.

Israel is officially in ‘water poverty’, and so agriculture makes extensive use of treated sewage, computerized early-warning systems for leaks, and computerized drip irrigation and micro-sprinklers. The Negev desert has large underground supplies of brackish water, which can be exploited using these advanced technologies, and it now produces more than 40% of the country’s vegetables and field crops. More …

Israel’s Future Borders

Israel’s current borders are hotly contested as governments insist on ignoring the true legal position. Israel’s eastern border is of particular concern since it involves the West Bank. Thankfully, according to Bible prophecy, such disputes will be short-lived as this age rapidly comes to a close. In the succeeding Millennial Age on earth, Israel’s borders will be firmly established by the God of Israel. In fact, these future borders are almost identical to the borders of ancient Israel given to Moses in Num 34.1-12 as he was about to divide up Canaan for the twelve tribes (enlarge map). Ancient Israel’s eastern border ‘went down along the Jordan, ending at the Salt Sea’ (Num 34.12).

Israel’s future borders are clearly defined in Ezek 47.13-20, and again the eastern boundary runs along the Jordan (v18). The borders also include Gaza, significant parts of present-day Syria and probably all of Lebanon. Are the politicians listening?

Israel’s Legal Borders

According to the 1922 League of Nations Mandate for Palestine, the Jews could settle anywhere between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea, see map. The Mandate did not grant any national political rights to Arabs, but Article 2 did safeguard the civil and religious rights of all inhabitants of Palestine, irrespective of race or religion. In 1946 the Mandate was transferred over to the UN, and Article 80 of the UN Charter implicitly recognizes the ‘Mandate for Palestine’ of the League of Nations. Moreover, as a direct result of Article 80, the UN cannot transfer these rights over any part of Palestine (vested as they are in the Jewish People) to any non-Jewish entity, such as the Palestinian Authority.

The Mandate is therefore the last legally binding document regarding the West Bank and Gaza, and so Jewish settlements in these areas are fully protected by Article 80. Sadly, this legal fact is often ignored by the UN. More …

Land Boundaries of Ancient Israel

The descendants of Jacob (Israel) were the twelve tribes of Israel and they settled in the Promised Land of Canaan (enlarge map). In today’s terms, they settled mainly in the area currently claimed by Israel, including the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights, although the tribes of Benjamin, Gad, Reuben and part of Manasseh settled east of the Jordan. This settlement aligned with the boundaries God gave Israel at the time:

“I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River Euphrates (Exod 23.31)

The Land of Israel is Promised to God’s People

The 1922 League of Nations sub-division. Image: Eli E. Hertz

Some 80% of today’s Jews in Israel follow the Jewish scriptures in the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) in some way, ranging from fundamentalism to loose Jewish practice. In Genesis they read God’s promise to Jacob, grandson of Abraham:

“The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your descendants after you” (Gen 35.12)

Note that God’s unconditional land covenant with Abraham passed to Isaac (and then to Jacob) rather than to Ishmael and the Arab nations (Gen 17.19). This is the fundamental reason why religious Jews claim that the Land of Canaan (modern Israel) is their land, covenanted to them by God.

Israel’s Divine Protection

It is quite remarkable how Israel has survived attacks from overwhelming invading armies. Certainly, the evidence to date is that each time Arab nations attack Israel, they are defeated and their end-state seems worse than their first. By the end of the 1949 War of Independence the fledgling Israeli forces had defeated five invading Arab armies. In 1967 the armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon (and later Iraq) attacked Israel, but were defeated in just six days despite the huge Arab superiority in armour, aircraft and troops. In October 1973 Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel (the Yom Kippur War) but were eventually defeated. As to the future, at the end of the age all nations will gather against Israel in an attempt to destroy her – but again God intervenes. Israel’s enemies should take note of God’s promises to Israel:

“Whoever assails you will fall because of you … no weapon that is formed against you will prosper” (Isa 54.15,17)
“I will be a wall of fire around her … he who touches you, touches the apple of (the Lord’s) eye” (Zech 2.5,8).

Israeli Genius

Few would doubt that Jews have for centuries been substantially over-represented in many fields of learning and accomplishment, notably of course is Albert Einstein. The proportion of Jews with IQ’s of 140 or more is estimated to be about six times the proportion of any other ethnic group. Israel has the highest ratio of university degrees to the population in the world, and she has the highest density of start-up companies in the world. Nobel Prizes have been awarded to over 850 individuals worldwide, of whom some 23% were Jews or people of strong Jewish ancestry. This is an amazing achievement bearing in mind that Jews comprise less than 0.2% of the world’s population! Jews have won a total of 41% of all the Nobel Prizes in economics, 28% of medicine, 26% of physics and 19% of chemistry.

Why such Jewish genius? It is probably a blessing from God since they are His chosen people. Recall that when Israel obeys her God then she is specially blessed:

“Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country” (Deut 28.3)

Future of the Israeli People

This is both dramatic and traumatic, but ends in glory and victory. Prophecy states that regathered Israel will go through a time of ‘great tribulation’ and distress as the world system persecutes Israel. Jesus said that ‘unless those days are shortened, no flesh would be saved’ (Mat 24.22). Whilst involving the whole world, it is essentially a time of suffering for those Jews who have returned to the Promised Land. The OT refers to this time as ‘Jacob’s distress’:

“Alas, for that day is great, there is none like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved from it” (Jer 30.7)

Many Israeli’s suffer, but a remnant (one-third) survives (Zech 13.9). These are the one’s who are refined through suffering and go on into the Millennial world with Christ at His Second Coming. These are the Jews who are at last honoured by the nations and who glorify God and serve Him on the Millennial earth. More …

Demographics of Israel

In the early 20th century the land of Israel was a mix of many peoples representing some 50 languages and there was no common Arab identity. In 1915 there were just 83,000 Jews but this increased to over 6.2 million Jews in 2015. Today, out of thew 8.3 million people in Israel (2015) the demographic mix is: Jewish (75%), Arab (21%), Others, including Christian (4%). Out of the 6.2 million Jews in Israel (2015), the demographic is: Orthodox (20%), traditional (38%), secular (42%).

Defining the Jew

The Hebrew word ‘Yehudi’ (Jew) originated from the name Judah (2 Kings 16.6). But when Israel became divided into northern and southern kingdoms (the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah) the term ‘Jew’ came to apply to all those in the Kingdom of Yehudah (Judah). This kingdom embraced the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi, so Paul called himself a Jew since he was from the tribe of Benjamin (Acts 22:3), and Jesus was a Jew since His lineage is traced to Judah (Lk 3.23-33, Heb 7.14).

Today it is common to refer to Abraham’s descendants, or anyone who practices Judaism as ‘Jews’. More …

The Tribes of Israel

God made this unconditional promise to Abram (Abraham):

“I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you … I will give to you and your descendants … all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God” (Gen 17.7,8)

So who are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? They are of course the twelve tribes descended from Jacob (whose name was changed by God to Israel). These tribes (enlarge image) are listed in Gen 49. They were Hebrew Israelites. Since these tribes will once more take up their role as a witness to the nations during the Millennium (Ezek 37, Ezek 40-48), it follows that they must be amongst those who are returning to the State of Israel today. Note that, whilst it is common to refer to Abraham’s descendants as ‘Jews’, this is not strictly accurate. Strictly speaking, today’s Jews (Hebrew, ‘Yehudim’) are those who follow Judaism and who are descendants from the kingdom of Judah.

Israel the Fig Tree

When Jesus spoke of the appearance of new shoots on the fig tree signalling that summer is near, He was really saying that His return and the coming of the fullness of the Kingdom of God is near – even ‘at the doors’. In Luke 21 He said ‘look at the fig tree (Israel) and ‘all the trees’ (the Gentile nations) and so observe the signs of the times. He implied that Israel will be the vortex of the nations at the end of this age and the sign of His soon return.

Over the past 100 years the nation and people of Israel have come to prominence on the world scene. This simple fact points to the imminent return of Christ.

Mass Migration to Israel – Aliyah

The Hebrew term ‘Aliyah’ describes the relatively recent massive influx of Jews to their ancestral land, Israel. They are coming from all over the world, from wherever they have been scattered amongst the nations. In 1915 there were just 83,000 Jews in Palestine (modern Israel) but this increased to over 6 million Jews by 2015, corresponding to an amazing 7400% increase! The picture shows the arrival of Jewish immigrants to Israel in 2007.

This mass migration is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy – that towards the end of this age and just before Christ returns, God will call the children of Israel out of the nations and once more put them in their own land:

Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone … and bring them into their own land (Ezek 37.21)

The Re-emergence of Israel

Around 922 BC the twelve tribes of Israel split into a southern kingdom (called ‘The House of Judah’, embracing Judea and Jerusalem) and a northern kingdom comprising ten tribes and called ‘The House of Israel’, or simply ‘Israel’. History shows that both houses rebelled against God, and despite warnings from the prophets, both houses were eventually removed from their Promised Land. The house of Israel and the house of Judah had broken God’s covenant (Jer 11.10), and by the first century all twelve tribes were scattered amongst the nations (Ja 1.1).

But God has compassion on His people (Deut 30.3-5) and promised that He would bring them back from the nations and place them back in their own land:

And (the Lord) will lift up a standard for the nations, and assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth (Isa 11.12)
I will take the children of Israel from among the nations … and bring them into their own land (Ezek 37.21)

Importantly, it is this return of God’s people that will eventually bring the nations to know God (Ezek 36.23). When was this to happen? Israel was to return and seek God after the gospel had been spread to the Gentile nations (Rom 11.25). The twentieth century saw both the evangelization of the nations and God’s chosen people returning to Israel.

The Origin of Israel

Under God’s call, Abram (later called Abraham) migrated from the city of Ur sometime between 1900 and 1750 BC to God’s appointed land, Canaan (today’s Israel). Abraham’s wife Sarah bore him a son, Isaac, and Isaac’s wife Rebecca bore Jacob. History shows that God had a special task for Jacob and his descendants and He later changed Jacob’s name to ‘Israel’ (Gen 32.28). The etymology of the name Israel is not clear, although Gen 32.28 implies that Jacob and his descendants would struggle but prevail. The history of Israel confirms this thought; Jacob’s descendants, the twelve tribes of Israel (the Hebrew Israelites) have suffered but prevailed for 3,000 years.

The descendants of Abraham formed a nation (Israel) around 1300 BC after their Exodus from Egypt to Canaan under the leadership of Moses, and in 1004 BC King David established Jerusalem as the capital of the Kingdom of Israel.

The Purpose of Israel

This question is only meaningful in a spiritual (rather than secular) context. According to the Bible, Israel is indeed a special nation, chosen by God to bless mankind and to make a name for Himself. To Abram (Abraham) God promised:

“I will make you a great nation … and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12.2,3)

And King David exclaimed:

“And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went … to make a name for Himself” (2 Sam 7.23)

History confirms the reality of such statements. Israel led to the Messiah, Jesus, and prophecy indicates that the land and people of Israel will be used to glorify God in the sight of the nations at the end of the age and in the age to come.

NO! In the light of Israeli anti-discrimination law and Israel’s right to self-determination as a Jewish State, the accusation of ‘racist’ against Israel is unjustified. All Israeli citizens are granted full civil and voting rights. And just as a Palestinian state would maintain a demographic balance in favour of Palestinians, so the Jewish state of Israel maintains a demographic balance in favour of Jews by controlling immigration.

There is a legal distinction between defensive wars and wars of aggression. The facts show that Israel’s role in Arab-Israeli conflicts has always been defensive in response to Arab aggression. In response to major Arab attacks (1948-49, 1967, 1973), or incessant rocket attacks from Gaza, Israel has exercised her right of self-defense under UN Charter Article 51.

NO! Whilst western nations led by the US and the UN favour the two-state approach, it is NOT the solution favored by the Palestinian Authority, Hamas or the Palestinian people! They aim for a single state – a Palestinian state.

NO: The terms ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘Zion’ do not even appear in the Qur’an, and Mohammad never visited Jerusalem in person. Muslims see Mecca as the holiest place in the Islamic world, and so turn their back on the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem when praying

NO! All of Jerusalem was mandated to be part of the Jewish homeland under the 1922 League of Nations ‘Mandate for Palestine’ and so Israel’s sovereignty over all of Jerusalem is well-founded. Jerusalem was first divided through the 1948-49 Arab invasion of Israel, but at no time was East Jerusalem under legal ownership by an Arab entity. In any event, the division (the ‘green line’) was intended to be temporary.

Evidence from the Tanach (the Hebrew Bible), the New Testament, historians like Josephus, and archaeology all testify to the existence of a huge, impressive Temple in Jerusalem

YES: THE CLAIM IS LEGAL ON TWO ACCOUNTS
According to international law, Israel has a well-founded claim to sovereignty over Jerusalem, including its Old City. Also in international law, it is a sovereign state’s right to determine its own capital, and Israel proclaimed Jerusalem to be her capital shortly after the declaration of the State of Israel in 1948.

NO: The Palestinian refugee problem was created by a sudden invasion of five Arab armies in response to the declaration of the State of Israel in May 1948. Arab governments rejected Israel’s offer to repatriate 100,000 Arab refugees, and the offer of UN money for the refugees.

Israel is abiding by the 1995 Oslo II Accord and supplying agreed water quantities. It is up to the Palestinians to maintain water networks, utilize wastewater, improve existing supplies and drill new wells. Instead, water is often used as a political weapon, and so authorized wells are not dug and leaks are not repaired.

THEY ASSUME THERE IS A ‘PALESTINIAN LAND’
According to international law, Israel is NOT occupying Palestinian land since the West Bank and Gaza Strip were not under any sovereignty prior to the Six Day War. All of western Palestine, from the Jordan to the Mediterranean remains legally open to Jewish settlement under the 1922 British Mandate for Palestine and Article 80 of the UN Charter.

THE FALLACY
There never was “a Palestinian people” or “a Palestinian Arab nation”. League of Nations documents of the 1920’s refer to the local Arab population as ‘existing non-Jewish communities’. Palestinian nationalism only emerged in the mid-twentieth century, partly in response to the emergence of Zionism.

YES! Archaeology and historical documents show that Jews have lived in Israel for over 3000 years! For example, they verify God’s plan for the Jewish Temple, the existence of King David, and the existence of Jewish synagogues in the Holy Land up to the Muslim conquest in 638 AD.

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